MAR Shinigami Vacation
by Hope-ItsyBitsySpider
Summary: Ichigo was pretty certain Rukia had fed him something strange, or he'd drunk some of the geta-boshi's tea, because this wasn't possible.


Okay, so Ichigo had known that Gargantas were dangerous to travel through - as they tended to have a bad habit of spitting you out in the _randomest_ of places - but... this was just really whacked. The shinigami-daiko wasn't even sure he was in the same _world_ anymore, not that world-hopping was new to him. However, he had to admit that the place was rather beautiful, in an odd fairytale sort of way.

A little off to his right, a forest went on for miles, and to his left he could see mountains several leagues away. The grass was greener, and the sound of a brook somehow seemed fresher. The air was cleaner and the sky bluer, the clouds whiter... It was just like a fairytale.

"Wow," he mumbled, glad he'd decided not to leave his body (he'd actually been cheating on his way to school, not that he'd admit it to _any_one, and had used Urahara's Garganta).

So here he was, in some strange world, surrounded by beauty. His bag for school hung lightly from his shoulder, and his uniform slacks were grass-stained on the knees from his landing. He didn't hurt, though. No, rather he felt lighter. More refreshed, as if gravity had lessened here...

Before his thoughts could go any further in that direction, someone cleared their throat. Ichigo was on his feet as the thought crossed his mind, but he saw no one. He scowled suspiciously around him, but the immediate vicinity was empty. Weird. Maybe he'd imagined it-

"Lad? Lad, could you possibly give us a hand?"

Ichigo looked down. He blinked. "Lad?" He leapt twenty feet into the air - literally - and screamed like a stereotypical girl.

"Wait! We mean you no harm!" the rock cried, fearful that he'd leave it.

Ichigo landed lithely, staring at the talking rock suspiciously. "Did you just talk?" he asked, feeling insane. Like... Renji-insane. Like chasing-after-Rukia-and-her-damned-ideas insane. Holy fuck, he was losing it.

The rock smiled brightly, the smaller rock beside it doing the same thing. "Why, yes! I was wondering... It's rather hot here..." He looked- No. No, _it_ looked longingly at the nearby stream. "If you would assist me..."

Ichigo looked stupidly at the stream. Then the rock. Back to the stream. What? Oh. _Oh._ "Er... Sure," he mumbled suspiciously and scooped a handful of water up, pouring it evenly over the two rocks a beat later.

The rock sighed in bliss, the smaller one - a child? Wait, hell no. Don't think like that, Ichigo, it's weird - echoing. "Thank you so much, lad," he mumbled, grinning.

There was a sound behind Ichigo. The shinigami-daiko turned. At first, he saw nothing, but then a shadow fell on his face and he looked up. A few feet above his head, a tiny female fairy was staring at him in shock. She bit her lip, nervous as Ichigo stared back at her incredulously. No. Way. It was a fairy. Ichigo was pretty certain Rukia had fed him something strange, or he'd drunk some of the geta-boshi's tea, because this was just way too much to take in all at once. And it wasn't possible.

"Um..." The fairy's wings fluttered anxiously. "You look... Odd. Where are you from? Are you lost?"

Silence. Ichigo was now sure he was dreaming. _He_ looked odd? Look who's talking! "... I'm dreaming. And you're a fairy."

She was obviously confused. "Erm... Yes? You're... not dreaming, though. At least, I don't think you are." She looked over her shoulder, and for the first time, Ichigo noticed the slightly shorter boy standing in the shadows of a large... oak-ish tree. "Al... Do you... Um...?" she trailed off and shrugged as Ichigo tensed and took a step back, figurative hackles raising.

This guy made him feel uneasy, and this was coming from the guy who'd kicked Aizen's ass and killed more than his fair share of freaky Espada. Blue eyes surveyed him quietly, almost as if looking into his soul, and Ichigo felt as if the boy would be able to tell his very thoughts if he so wished. A breeze sped through the plain, and Ichigo's hair tousled, the boy's dark blue bangs covering his eyes for a moment. When they were out of his face, he looked relieved for a split-second, as if afraid Ichigo would attack him and glad when he had not.

But Ichigo didn't know if he was an enemy or not, so he wouldn't attack. Yet.

"Who are you?" the boy asked, his voice soft but confident. It struck Ichigo that he was obviously a warrior of some sort, though he didn't hold himself with the arrogance most warriors did. Not that Ichigo held himself that way either, but when he'd been through what he'd been through, it was understandable.

The strawberry boy straightened from his half-crouch, adjusting his shoulder bag and stuffing his hands idly into his pockets. "I'm Ichigo. You?" he asked, keeping his voice even despite the fact that the boy still freaked him out.

A slight smile touched the blue-haired boy's mouth as he, too, straightened from his own ready slouch. "Alviss. It's nice to meet you, Ichigo."

"Er... Yeah. You too," the taller boy said, scratching the back of his neck sheepishly. "Do you, uh, know where I am?"

Alviss quirked a brow, but nodded all the same. "Yes. You're in MAR Heaven. I take it you're from Earth?"

The other blinked and smiled in relief. "Yeah! So I'm not home anymore. Figures, with my luck. Do you know how I can get back, er... Al... viss?"

Blue eyes blinked slowly, a smirk tugging at his mouth. "We'll have to find the right ARM."

"Air-what?"

"ARM. They're special trinkets with magical powers," Alviss explained, smiling more fully.

Ichigo's brow twitched when he realized the other boy was silently laughing at him, but he couldn't really be all that mad. It wasn't like Alviss was being a jackass or anything. "Magic? Go figure." Ichigo shook his head and sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Well. Let's find this... Arm."

"ARM."

"Right. That."

Alviss chuckled. "Come on, then. You too, Bell- don't give me that look."

The fairy frowned worriedly and glanced nervously at Ichigo, who scowled at her over-suspiciousness. Alviss caught the look and quickly hid a smirk. Ichigo went on obliviously, following Alviss with a sigh. "Where are we going to find it?" he asked his new... friend, sorta.

"We'll talk to Dorothy."

"As in the Wizard of Oz?" Ichigo asked bemusedly.

"What?"

"Nevermind."

"Right."

**I just really wondered what would happen if Ichigo went to MAR. I thought it was funny. I may or may not continue. Dunno. R&R!**


End file.
